Noosa Council CEO looks to the future

BRETT De Chastel was part of the "old" Noosa Council, but he is looking forward to new beginnings after being appointed CEO.

Mr De Chastel was selected from a wide field of candidates across Australia and New Zealand at a Noosa Council meeting yesterday.

He was the former Noosa Council corporate services director until its amalgamation in 2008.

Since then, he has been running a consultancy firm providing advice to more than 25 councils.

The opportunity to create a future for the new Noosa council from a "blank canvas" was too good to refuse.

"It is a chance to create something new - a once-in-a-career opportunity," Mr De Chastel said.

"I am looking forward to working in my own community and making a difference."

He will use a hard yardstick to judge his success.

"I will judge I have made a difference if I have helped make a council the community is proud of," he said.

In his consultancy role, Mr De Chastel saw the wide

spread distrust communities had in their government.

It is something he is determined to ensure doesn't happen in Noosa.

"It comes down to leadership, political and organisational leadership," he said.

While the "culture and history" of the former Noosa council needed to be remembered, the new council was "not about the past".

"It is about the future," Mr De Chastel said.

He was also looking forward to a close working relationship with Sunshine Coast CEO John Knaggs and Gympie CEO Bernard Smith.

In addition to his consultancy work, Mr De Chastel has been the chairman of United Synergies, a not-for-profit group aimed at helping young people in difficulty.

Mayor Noel Playford was confident the council had made the "right choice" in selecting Mr De Chastel, but also reserved praise for transfer manager and acting CEO Peter Franks, who also had applied for the position.

Mr Playford said Mr Franks had played an important role in steering Noosa through a complex transition last year while doing everything he could to protect Noosa's interests.